The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

They walked in silence all the way. In the deep tunnel, only the dull sound of their footsteps could be heard, mixed with Yu Shu's slightly painful breathing, which was subtle and rapid.

Yi Huawei suddenly stopped, and Yu Shu had no time to react, so she bumped into him and then fell to the ground, her eyes full of fear.

"Ah? What...what do you want to do?" Yu Shu's voice trembled slightly.

"Here, apply it on the wound!" Yi Huawei said expressionlessly. He took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from his embroidered pocket and threw it into Yu Shu's hand.

In the dim tunnel, Yu Shu blinked, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She stared at the porcelain bottle in her hand quietly, as if thinking about something. After a moment, she bit her lips lightly and whispered, "...Thank you!"

"Haha, you are really carefree!"

Yi Huawei's mouth corners slightly raised, his eyes fixed on Yu Shu, and he asked: "Do you hate your mother?"

At first, Yi Huawei thought that Yu Shu was playing a double act with Queen Tuan. Later, he realized that Queen Tuan really wanted to take Yu Shu as a hostage. This made him speechless. A little Tuan could actually cultivate the ruthless character of Queen Tuan.

She doesn't even consider whether she deserves it!

"Hiss~...She is my mother!"

Yu Shu took a deep breath, poured some powder from the porcelain bottle, and carefully applied it to the wound. The wound felt a burning pain, and then gradually became cool, which made her feel a little relieved. She frowned slightly, and her eyes revealed a complex emotion.

"Let's go!"

Yi Huawei shook his head: "Remember, you owe me one!"

"........."

The voice echoed in the deep tunnel. Yu Shu remained silent, biting her lower lip tightly, with an elusive light flashing in her eyes. She seemed to be struggling in her heart. She didn't know how to respond to Yi Huawei's words.

…………

Nanyuan.

The setting sun cast mottled light and shadows through the gaps in the leaves, and the breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness.

"Your Excellency, Bajun Bazhong wants to see you!"

Yi Huawei, who had just returned from Zhangtai Palace and changed into a plain robe, was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, preparing to take a short rest, when he heard the loud announcement of the usher at the door.

"Ba Zhong? Widow Qing's son?"

Yi Huawei frowned slightly and said, "Please ask him to come in."

"Squeak~"

With a slight sound of the door opening, a middle-aged man in brown cloth followed the usher in slowly.

Although the man was dressed simply, he had an extraordinary temperament. After approaching, he bowed to Yi Huawei and said, "I am Ba Zhong, meeting Lord Zhao!"

Yi Huawei nodded slightly and looked at Ba Zhong: "It turns out to be Lord Ba! ... Please come in!"

Ba Zhong stood up and bowed: "Thank you, Lord Zhao!"

How come this second-generation rich guy suddenly came to him?
In the Qin Dynasty, the standard for a well-off family was a family fortune of 100,000 yuan. For the wealthy families who were relocated to Xianyang, the standard was to have a fortune of 1 million yuan. If one had a fortune of 10 million yuan, he would be considered "rich and noble."

However, the wealth of the Ba family should probably be described in the unit of "5 million". Every year, they could make a lot of money just by mining and refining cinnabar and selling it to the government. Not to mention the business of Botong, well salt and horse caravans. It is said that the Ba family had thousands of servants and tens of thousands of followers. The so-called "followers" refer to people who live by relying on landlords and other wealthy people. At that time, there were only people in the entire Zhi County, and one-fifth of them made a living under the hands of the widow Qing. Such a scale of employees would be a very large enterprise even in modern times.

However, the status of Qin merchants was low and they were strictly restricted by the law. They were given priority in war and corvée. If they did not register with the government and married a city dweller without permission, they would even be sentenced. Therefore, merchants were extremely low-key. Even Ba Zhong, who had a fortune of hundreds of millions and whose mother was praised by the emperor, did not dare to show off his wealth when he went out.

After entering the mansion, Ba Zhong carefully followed Yi Huawei to an exquisite pavilion.

Although it was not yet night, candles had been lit early around the pavilion. The bright light illuminated the surroundings as bright as day, as if day had arrived early.

Several palace maids stood respectfully with their heads bowed serving by the side. The wine vessels had been carefully arranged on the stone table, some fresh fruits and vegetables were neatly placed on the lacquer tray, and fragrant wine was also being cooked on the stone table.

Qin law stipulated that no more than three people could drink together. Although there was no strict prohibition on drinking among officials, they could not be too arrogant. The only exception was when the court had a celebration, it would allow the subjects to gather and drink, which was called "Cifu".

"How is your mother's health recently? I have wanted to visit her for a long time, but unfortunately I have never had the chance to meet her. It's a pity." Yi Huawei laughed and said with some emotion: "Being personally commended by His Majesty has never happened in the past three generations! Your mother is really an extraordinary woman!"

In fact, people these days are more open about gender issues. Men and women can freely fall in love and boldly pursue their feelings during the Shangsi Festival. Even so, there are many widows in the world, but she is the only one who can be honored by the emperor. For a woman from a border county and a merchant, this is really an honor.

It's not like what is portrayed in some melodramatic TV dramas, that the emperor had any special feelings for Widow Qing. When Qin Shihuang met Widow Qing, she was already in her fifties, and it was impossible for Ying Zheng to have such a heavy taste.

The emperor respected the purity of widows for two reasons. First, Qin Shihuang really attached great importance to women's "chastity". This is understandable. Qin Shihuang's mother, Zhao Ji, was a person who was good at dancing with long sleeves in Handan in her early years. She first hooked up with Lu Buwei and then married Prince Yiren. After becoming the queen mother, she hid Lao Ai in the palace and committed adultery. The mother's dissolute behavior probably left an indelible shadow on the emperor's childhood. So after Qin Shihuang put down the Lao Ai Rebellion, he slept with the two sons born to the queen mother and imprisoned the queen mother in a side palace.

Although he later welcomed Queen Dowager Zhao back to Ganquan Palace due to public pressure, the mother and son had already become enemies and could not reconcile until their death. Qin Shihuang still did not forgive Queen Dowager Zhao. When discussing the title of emperor, he honored King Zhuangxiang of Qin as the Supreme Emperor, and also added titles to the mausoleums of his grandmothers Queen Dowager Huayang and Queen Dowager Xia, but omitted Queen Dowager Zhao.

The shadow of his childhood made the emperor very sensitive to improper relationships between men and women. He once asked the Imperial Censorate and the Imperial Court to change the relevant laws on adultery and strongly encouraged catching adulterers, even to the point of directly throwing adulterers into pig cages and beating them to death after catching them. Now he deliberately put up a memorial archway for chaste women to commend Ba Guafuqing, perhaps hoping that women all over the world would follow his example.

Secondly, the Ba family also returned the favor by repeatedly donating money, silk, and food to support the Qin army in conquering the six states. Ba Zhong even traveled around Ba County and Nan County all year round, working tirelessly to ease the relationship between the Ba tribe and the Qin government, making important contributions to stabilizing the border situation.

In the small pavilion, candles flickered.

Yi Huawei and Ba Zhong sat opposite each other.

Ba Zhong cupped his hands, looked at Yi Huawei and said politely, "Thank you, Lord Zhao, for your concern. My mother is in good health."

After a brief exchange of greetings, Ba Zhong saw that Yi Huawei was still in a leisurely manner, and seemed to have no interest in the purpose of his visit. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He slightly adjusted his clothes and bowed to Yi Huawei solemnly, saying: "Master Zhao, I have an unwelcome request, and I hope you can fulfill it."

Yi Huawei laughed, with a bit of gentleness in his eyes: "Oh? Brother Gao and Brother Ba hit it off right away. If you have anything to say, just tell me. As long as it can be done, Zhao Gao will definitely not refuse." Ba Zhong raised his head slightly, his eyes sparkling, and slowly said: "I heard that Lord Zhao invented a condiment called soy sauce? I once bought a bucket of it in the market, and the taste was so delicious that I lingered for a long time..." He paused for a moment, as if recalling the unique taste, and then bowed again:
"I wonder if Lord Zhao can send craftsmen to open a workshop in Shuzhong? There is also a lot of land in Shu County that is suitable for growing beans. My family can send servants to burn the wasteland and reclaim it, and plant it vigorously. Then use the horse team to sell the soy sauce to Bashu and Wuxi. In this way, the profit will be more than a million! The Ba family is willing to share the huge profits with Lord Zhao. What do you think?"

Ba Zhong had a good vision and a keen sense of smell. Yi Huawei had just asked someone to sell soy sauce in the market, and Ba Zhong smelled the business opportunity, and even found out that it was made from soybeans. If Yi Huawei was not the owner behind this, Ba Zhong would definitely not have asked more than once. There is no such thing as intellectual property rights these days, and Yi Huawei did not let them keep the method of making this soy sauce secret.

Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes slightly, tapped his fingers on the table, and fell into deep thought. He knew the potential of soy sauce in the market. If he could open a workshop in Shuzhong and expand sales channels with the help of Ba's power, he would indeed gain huge benefits.

"Brother Ba's proposal is indeed tempting,"

Yi Huawei said slowly: "However, this is not an easy task. Opening a workshop requires a lot of capital and manpower investment..."

Ba Zhong hurriedly cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Master Zhao, rest assured. The Ba family has been operating in Shu for many years and has extensive connections and abundant resources. As for the funds and manpower, the Ba family is willing to take on the responsibility without hesitation. The Ba family only hopes to share this huge business opportunity with you and gain long-term wealth for the family."

Yi Huawei frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. On the one hand, Ba's proposal was indeed tempting. If the cooperation was successful, the soy sauce could be promoted as soon as possible. But on the other hand, he also knew the profit-seeking nature of businessmen. If it was not restrained, something unexpected might happen.

Zhang Lehui's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound, and the atmosphere in the pavilion became a little solemn for a moment.

Finally, Yi Huawei nodded slightly and said in a deep voice: "Since Brother Ba is so sincere, then this matter is worth a try. However, the soy sauce in your workshop must not leave the two counties of Bashu."

The look in his eyes as he looked at Bazhong left no room for doubt.

Yi Huawei didn't believe in the conscience of businessmen. In his opinion, if there was a monopoly, he had to be the only one. He had to take the majority of the shares of the workshop, and he would select an agent from every two counties. The same would be true for sugar and other items in the future. This would ensure that his own interests were maximized and the market could be effectively controlled.

"Ah?!" Ba Zhong was shocked when he heard this. He obviously didn't expect Yi Huawei to put forward such harsh conditions. He quickly calculated in his mind, with a tangled expression on his face. Although the two counties of Bashu are vast, the market is limited after all. If the soy sauce cannot be promoted to a wider area, the profit will inevitably be greatly reduced.

However, Ba Zhong also understood that if he did not agree to Yi Huawei's conditions at this time, this cooperation opportunity would probably vanish in an instant.

After a moment's silence, Ba Zhong gritted his teeth and bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Lord Zhao! I will do my best!"

Although Ba Zhong was unwilling, he had no way to deal with the Shaofu Zhao who was second only to him. Although cooperating with Yi Huawei would be subject to many restrictions, he could also use Yi Huawei's power to obtain more resources and guarantees. As long as he could gain a foothold in the two counties of Bashu, there might be a chance for a turnaround in the future.

Afterwards, the two began to discuss the specific matters of opening a soy sauce workshop in Shuzhong. From recruiting craftsmen, purchasing raw materials, to expanding sales channels, every link was carefully considered and planned.

………………

Just after seeing Bazhong off, Chenxi, accompanied by several palace maids, walked towards the pavilion gracefully. She was wearing a light pink silk dress, which swayed gently with her steps. Her long black hair was tied into an exquisite bun, dotted with a few small pearl flowers, and her face as a new wife was even more charming and beautiful.

"Xi'er, sorry for waiting. What do you want to eat today?"

Yi Huawei smiled and waved to Princess Chenxi. When Chenxi heard Yi Huawei's call, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a sweet smile. She took light steps and flew towards Yi Huawei like a happy butterfly.

Several palace maids and eunuchs saw this scene and looked away, as if they saw nothing. They knew very well that at this time, they should be as low-key as possible and not disturb the warm moment between the princess and the adults. They stood quietly by the side, with their heads bowed, without any expression on their faces, only the slightly trembling eyelashes showed their inner tension.

Chenxi sat down next to Yi Huawei, gently took his arm, and said coquettishly: "I want to eat osmanthus cake... and braised pork... and..."

Yi Huawei nodded and waved his hand: "Okay, let someone prepare it."

After a while, the palace maids came over with plates of exquisite dishes and bowls of sweet desserts.

"What were you talking about?"

Princess Chenxi tilted her head slightly, with curiosity glittering in her eyes. She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and gently brought it to Yi Huawei's lips, her movements gentle and graceful.

"Yes, we are talking about cooperating in business."

Yi Huawei smiled, opened his mouth and swallowed the osmanthus cake.

"Ah~"

Suddenly, she felt her fingers being sucked gently. In an instant, it was as if an electric current ran through her whole body. Her heart trembled violently, and Princess Chenxi's cheeks instantly turned red. She gave Yi Huawei a reproachful look, which contained both shyness and a bit of coquettishness.

Suppressing the strangeness in his heart, Chenxi asked, "What business?"

"We are just making soy sauce together..."

Yi Huawei held Chenxi's soft hands in his hands and rubbed them gently, then told him about the great cooperation with Ba.

"You can tell me!"

After hearing what Yi Huawei said, Chenxi's eyes widened, and her bright eyes were full of doubts: "If you don't have anyone, I will give it to you. Why do you want to cooperate with him?"

"It's not about cooperating with the Ba family, but cooperating with all the wealthy merchants in the world..." Yi Huawei leaned close to Chenxi's ear and explained in a low voice.

Chenxi listened quietly, the expression on his face gradually changed from confusion at the beginning to sudden enlightenment, he nodded slightly, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.

"If you are interested, I will give you a place!" Yi Huawei smiled and said, "It can be regarded as saving some dowry for you."

"Who's going to marry you?!"

Chenxi's face flushed, her eyes were filled with shyness, but she couldn't hide her joy. She gently pushed Yi Huawei, but Yi Huawei grabbed her hand.

Yi Huawei held Chenxi's hand tightly, looked at her shy appearance, and said with a smile, "You are mine now, do you still want to run away? When the time is right, I will definitely ask His Majesty to marry the princess."

"Humph~"

Chenxi lowered her head, not daring to look Yi Huawei in the eye. Her heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of her chest, but she was too embarrassed to express her feelings directly, so she could only use anger to hide her shyness.

(End of this chapter)